The pressures of living up to society’s expectations of beauty is real and a widespread epidemic. It doesn’t matter if they are stay-at-home moms in their 40s or 20-something runway models—it’s irrefutably apparent that every single woman, at some point, struggles with accepting her physical appearance, overcoming self-doubt and feeling comfortable in her own skin, due to the shallow and appearance-focused standards of beauty espoused by the media.

Women who lead real lives, which usually involve having a busy career, maintaining relationships, child-rearing, paying bills and juggling multiple household duties, find it challenging to meet these ideals for beauty because they lack sufficient time, energy and financial resources. Even the women who earn a living from their looks, such as models and actresses, have to withstand the pressures of staying attractive because of being exposed to the ruthless standards of the beauty and fashion industry.

In order to address this issue, we need to make a joint effort towards finding long-term solutions that will revolutionize our traditional views on feminine attractiveness. This revolution should address this phenomenon on both an individual and collective level. Dealing with it on an individual level involves making a concerted effort towards bringing about an internal shift within young girls and women, educating them on how they can maintain a strong sense of self-worth and develop an identity that is independent of outward appearances.

The second is to change the entire paradigm of beauty by taking measures to moderate or alter the messages and images propagated by the media and other key influencers in our society so that they align with a healthier ideal of women’s beauty that draws the focus from physical attractiveness to her accomplishments and her character.

We have reached an ideal time in history to create the momentum needed to cause a collective shift when it comes to how we measure our worth and how we judge other people. The old paradigm, which consisted of forming opinions about women based solely on appearances, is antiquated and needs to be done away with. As a civilization, we need to move towards more progressive ways of being and thinking so that we can empower girls and women to feel comfortable in their own skin and fulfill their highest potential.

SELINE SHENOY, author of Beauty Redefined, is a podcast host and life coach who focuses on personal empowerment, self-esteem, productivity, and wellness. As the founder of The Dream Catcher, a blog community that encourages people to live their ideal life, Shenoy’s inspirational message has been attracting thousands of people worldwide since 2014. She is a regular contributor to a variety of publications including Forbes, MindBodyGreen, Elite Daily, Project Happiness, and Global Love Project.